What to Leave for Your Pet Sitter: The Complete Information Checklist

TL;DR: Pet sitters need vaccination records, feeding schedules, medication info, emergency contacts, and care preferences. Instead of scrambling before every trip, create a digital care profile that can be shared via QR code or link—no app download required for the sitter.

You're leaving for vacation tomorrow. The pet sitter texts: "Can you send me your vet's number? And what time does she usually eat? Oh, and the boarding place is asking for rabies vaccination proof."

Now you're digging through email for that vaccination certificate, texting your vet's after-hours line, and realizing you never wrote down your own pet's feeding schedule because you just... know it.

One VitusVet reviewer described "scrambling to find all that paperwork before boarding." This stress is completely preventable—if you set up the right system before you need it.

What Information Does a Pet Sitter Actually Need?

The essentials fall into five categories: emergency contacts (your vet, an emergency vet, your phone, a backup contact), medical information (current medications, allergies, chronic conditions, vaccination records), daily care (feeding schedule with amounts, walk schedule, any behavioral notes), house access (where supplies are kept, any home rules), and your pet's preferences (favorite toys, anxiety triggers, comfort routines).

That's a lot to communicate via text. Most people forget half of it, then field questions from the sitter all week.

Why Is Sharing Pet Info So Painful?

The information exists—scattered across veterinary portals, email attachments, your own head, and that notebook you started but never finished. The problem is consolidation. When you need to share it, there's no single source of truth.

Health record apps help, but they usually require the recipient to download the same app and create an account. That's a big ask for a pet sitter who's watching your dog for one weekend. You need something they can access instantly, without friction.

What Do Boarding Facilities Require?

Most boarding facilities require proof of rabies vaccination (legally mandated in most states), DHPP/distemper vaccination, Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination, and sometimes a recent fecal test or flea/tick prevention proof. Requirements vary, but vaccination records are universal.

Digging through email for a PDF your vet sent 8 months ago is nobody's idea of fun. And if you can't find it, you're calling the vet's office hoping someone can fax (yes, fax) the records to the boarding facility.

How Do You Create a Shareable Pet Care Profile?

The ideal solution is a digital care profile that you set up once and share whenever needed. It should include all the essential information (contacts, medical info, daily care), be accessible via a simple link or QR code, require no app download for the recipient, and stay automatically updated when you change information.

Apps like Wagabond Pets let you generate temporary share pages with a QR code. The sitter scans it and sees medication schedules, feeding times, emergency contacts, and care instructions—all in their browser. No download required. When your trip ends, you can revoke access.

What About Privacy Concerns?

You don't want your pet's complete medical history floating around forever. Look for sharing features that let you choose what to include (maybe they need vaccination records but not your pet's full health history), set expiration dates (share access ends when you return), and revoke access anytime (if plans change or you switch sitters).

Temporary, controlled sharing beats both the "text everything to everyone" approach and the "force them to download my app" approach.

The Pet Sitter Information Checklist

Whether you use an app or create a document, here's what to include:

Emergency contacts: Your phone, backup contact, regular vet (with address and phone), nearest emergency vet (with 24-hour number and address).

Medical information: Current medications with dosages and timing, known allergies, chronic conditions, vaccination records (especially rabies, DHPP, Bordetella), microchip number.

Daily care: Feeding schedule with exact amounts and brand of food, walk schedule and duration, bathroom habits and preferred spots, any training commands they know.

Behavioral notes: Anxiety triggers (thunderstorms, doorbells, other dogs), comfort items (specific blanket, favorite toy), quirks the sitter should know about.

The Bottom Line

Every time you leave your pet with someone else, you're doing a knowledge transfer. That transfer shouldn't involve digging through emails, texting photos of pill bottles, and hoping you remembered everything.

Set up a shareable pet care profile once. Keep it updated. When you need a sitter, send one link. They get everything they need. You get peace of mind. Your pet gets consistent care from someone who has all the information they need to do a great job.